Lois Openda scored a brace as part of three goals in an eight-minute spell as RB Leipzig triumphed 5-1 at lowly Cologne in the Bundesliga to underline their Champions League ambitions.
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Openda grabbed the go-ahead goal for 2-1 in the 62nd and headed the third five minutes later to raise his season tally to 19, before Amadou Haidara in the 70th and substitute Yussuf Poulsen in the 82nd wrapped up the big win against the collapsing hosts.
Leipzig opened the scoring in the 15th from Xavi Simons to complete a fine move involving Dani Olmo and Benjamin Sesko, but Cologne were level just three minutes later when Sargis Adamyan volleyed home at the far post off a corner-kick that was headed on.
The visitors remained far more dangerous, and Openda eventually restored the lead after the break when he slotted into the empty net after nice work from Sesko and Xavi.
Openda headed home David Raum's cross in off the left post as Cologne started to fall apart. Haidara got the fourth with a low shot into the bottom right corner, and Poulsen completed the rout into the left corner after coming on eight minutes earlier.
"It was fun in the end but a lot of hard work earlier. We knew we had to work our way into the game. We then showed our potential in the second half," Raum told streaming portal DAZN.
Leipzig rose past Borussia Dortmund into fourth in their battle for the final Champions League slot, but Dortmund can reclaim the spot with victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
Cologne in third last hold the relegation play-off spot but can be overtaken by Mainz if they beat Bochum on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, champions Bayern Munich visit bottom side Darmstadt while unbeaten leaders Bayer Leverkusen are at Freiburg on Sunday.
Australian Associated Press
